Description

LANCASTER

SD4761NE HIGH STREET
1685-1/7/133 (East side)
22/12/53 United Reformed Church
(Formerly Listed as:
HIGH STREET
Congregational Church)

GV II

Independent chapel, now United Reformed Church. 1774, probably
at the expense of John Dawson of Aldcliffe Hall; enlarged and
remodelled internally in 1833; altered C19 and C20. Sandstone
ashlar, with ashlar dressings, and rubble at sides and rear.
Slate roof. Roughly square plan: the original chapel, built on
a north-south alignment, was doubled in size in 1833 by the
addition of a rear extension at right angles on the east side,
built over a basement.
The west facade is a symmetrical composition of 2 storeys and
5 bays, with rusticated quoins, an eaves cornice, and coped
gables. The ground-floor windows have stone surrounds with
cambered heads: those in the second and fourth bays were
restored in 1911 after alteration for use as doorways in 1833.
The first-floor windows have stone surrounds with round heads,
keystones, and impost blocks. All have C19 joinery replacing
the original small-paned windows. The central doorway has a
plain stone surround. Beneath the second window on the ground
floor is a datestone inscribed '1772'. This was added c1872 to
mark the centenary of the building of the church, but the date
is now known to be incorrect. The rear gable wall has 4 tall
round-headed windows.
INTERIOR: fittings include a 3-sided gallery with box pews and
with an organ at the west side, carried on iron columns.
Against the east wall is a late C18 mahogany pulpit with a
panelled front decorated with carved drops (said to be by
Gillows), approached by a stair with open string, ramped
handrail, and turned balusters.

Listing NGR: SD4756061505

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26489594

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)